Book Title: I am The Soul Part 01
Author(s): Tarulatabai Mahasati
Publisher: Shri Gujarati Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Association

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Page 440
________________ 382 I am the Soul the assistance of the sensory organs. Without the organs, the atma acquires knowledge about objects, mind or the universe. Indeed, what is said in the gatha - 3 sfee in the fast fost facut H - every organ has knowledge of its own subject - is merely figurative. In truth, the sensory organs are inanimate. They cannot on their own absorb any subject. We all would have experienced the situation where, as we walk along a way, many things come in our view, but we do not see them all. Why! The best of your friends may pass by in front of you, but you do not notice. How does this happen? The eyes were there of course, but if I were to say in your words, My attention was elsewhere'. Or perhaps you were so busy in seeing or hearing something or immersed in some thought, that you failed to notice somebody passing by. In other words, our use of knowledge was at that time not connected with the eyes. It was with the mind, hence eyes did not see. Thus with whichever organ the use of knowledge - jnanopayoga - of the atma is connected, that organ alone can absorb a subject, not any other. Therefore that which acquires knowledge is the jiva's jnanopayoga. The organs are mere empty boxes, mere means. They are incapable of acquiring knowledge themselves. In fact, they themselves do not know if they have acquired knowledge or not, for they are inanimate. Knowledge is the characteristic of atma and not of the inanimate. Thus sensory organs cannot be believed to be atma, nor can atma be absorbed through them. When the organs are inanimate and incapable of knowing even inanimate objects, how can they absorb the animate - chetan - atma? Therefore, the atma that is beyond the organs, is neither absorbable through the organs nor is it in the form of organs. The Gurudev is progressing gradually eliminating the doubts of the disciple one-by-one, and the disciple's mind is experiencing joy. Now, more specific matter in the next. Jain Educationa international For Personal and Private Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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